Fluoride is one of the most toxic substances known to man but it is still a constituent in virtually many brand of toothpaste. Fluorides are more toxic than lead and only slightly less poisonous than arsenic and these toxins can enter your body from brushing your teeth or rinsing with many popular dental care products!

1. Accumulation of Fluoride in the Body
Fluoride accumulates in the body. Healthy adult kidneys excrete 50 to 60% of the fluoride ingested each day (Marier & Rose 1971). Any remaining fluoride accumulates in the body, typically in the bones and pineal gland (Luke 1997, 2001). Babies and children excrete less fluoride from their kidneys and absorb up to 80% of ingested fluoride into their bones (Ekstrand 1994). The concentration of fluoride in the bones increases over a lifetime (NRC 2006).2. Fluoride and Bottle-fed Babies
Bottle-fed babies receive the highest doses of fluoride. Since they have a liquid diet, formula-fed babies have the highest exposure to fluoride. Infant exposure to fluoridated water has been repeatedly found to be a major risk factor for developing dental fluorosis later in life (Marshall 2004; Hong 2006; Levy 2010). As a result, dental researchers have recommended that parents of newborns not use fluoridated water when reconstituting formula (Ekstrand 1996; Pendrys 1998; Fomon 2000; Brothwell 2003; Marshall 2004).The American Dental Association (ADA), the biggest advocates of fluoridation, sent a November 6, 2006 email alert to its members advising that parents should make baby formula with “low or no-fluoride water.”3. Fluoride and Reproductive Problems
Fluoride given to animals at high doses destroys the male reproductive system. Fluoride damages sperm and increases the rate of infertility in a number of species (Kour 1980; Chinoy 1989; Chinoy 1991; Susheela 1991; Chinoy 1994; Kumar 1994; Narayana 1994a,b; Zhao 1995; Elbetieha 2000; Ghosh 2002; Zakrzewska 2002).
A U.S. epidemiological study showed increased rates of infertility among couples living in areas with 3 ppm or more fluoride in the water (Freni 1994). Two studies showed reduced level of circulating testosterone in males living in high fluoride areas (Susheela 1996; Barot 1998). A study of fluoride-exposed workers reported a “subclinical reproductive effect” (Ortiz-Perez 2003).4. Fluoride and Brain Damage
“It is apparent that fluorides have the ability to interfere with the functions of the brain.” — the National Research Council (2006)The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists fluoride among about 100 chemicals for which there is “substantial evidence of developmental neurotoxicity.” Experiments on animals reveal that fluoride accumulates in the brain and alters mental behavior (Mullenix 1995). There have been over 100 animal experiments showing that fluoride damages the brain and impacts learning and behavior.5. Fluoride and Lowered IQ
There have been 24 studies from China, Iran, India and Mexico that show an association between fluoride exposure and reduced IQ. One research team (Xiang 2003a,b) estimated that fluoride may lower IQ at 1.9 ppm (parts per million), while a recent preliminary study (Ding 2011) found a lowering of IQ in children drinking water at levels ranging from 0.3 to 3 ppm. The authors of this latter study reported that for each increase of 1 ppm fluoride measured in the urine there was a loss of 0.59 IQ points. According to the National Research Council (2006), “the consistency of the results [in fluoride/IQ studies] appears significant enough to warrant additional research on the effects of fluoride on intelligence.”6. Fluoride and Early Puberty
Studies have shown an association between fluoride exposure and impaired visual-spatial organization (Calderon 2000; Li 2004; Rocha-Amador 2009); while three other studies have found an association between prenatal fluoride exposure and fetal brain damage (Han 1989; Du 1992; Yu 1996).Fluoride also affects the pineal gland. Studies by Jennifer Luke (2001) show that fluoride accumulates in the human pineal gland to very high levels. In her Ph.D. thesis, Luke has also shown in animal studies that fluoride reduces melatonin production and leads to an earlier onset of puberty (Luke 1997).7. Fluoride and Thyroid Function
Fluoride negatively impacts thyroid function. In the Ukraine, Bachinskii (1985) found a lowering of thyroid function, among otherwise healthy people, at 2.3 ppm fluoride in water. In the mid-20th century, fluoride was prescribed by a number of European doctors to reduce the activity of the thyroid gland for patients with hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) (Stecher 1960; Waldbott 1978).8. Fluoride and Arthritis
Fluoride causes symptoms of arthritis. Skeletal fluorosis (a fluoride-induced bone and joint disease) mimic the symptoms of arthritis (Singh 1963; Franke 1975; Teotia 1976; Carnow 1981; Czerwinski 1988; DHHS 1991). According to an article published in Chemical & Engineering News, “Because some of the clinical symptoms mimic arthritis, the first two clinical phases of skeletal fluorosis could be easily misdiagnosed” (Hileman 1988).9. Fluoride Damages Bone
Fluoride damages bone. An early fluoridation trial (Newburgh-Kingston 1945-55) revealed a two-fold increase in bone defects among children in the fluoridated community (Schlesinger 1956). In 2001, Alarcon-Herrera reported a correlation between the severity of dental fluorosis and the frequency of bone fractures in children and adults in a high fluoride area in Mexico.10. Fluoride and Hip Fractures in the Elderly
Fluoride may increase hip fractures in the elderly. High doses of fluoride (average 26 mg per day) were used in trials to treat patients with osteoporosis in an effort to harden their bones and reduce fracture rates. This treatment actually led to a higher number of fractures, particularly hip fractures (Inkovaara 1975; Gerster 1983; Dambacher 1986; O’Duffy 1986; Hedlund 1989; Bayley 1990; Gutteridge 1990. 2002; Orcel 1990; Riggs 1990 and Schnitzler 1990).
References